Posts Tagged ‘Pinchas’

We’ve seent he people sin over and over, but it looks like last week, the people finally began to trust in God. But now, suddenly, idolatry? What happened? How did the people fail so quickly? Join us as we explore the perplexing story of Ba’al Peor.

This video is from Rabbi David Block and Immanuel Shalev.

Link to last week:

http://bit.ly/2asqHbm

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This Shabbos is Shabbos Mevarchim. Rosh Chodesh Av is one day, this coming Friday.

The molad is Wednesday afternoon, 12 minutes, and 2 chalakim ( a chelek is 1/18th of a minute) past 1:00 p.m. (in Jerusalem).

Thursday evening: Rosh Chodesh At Maariv we add Ya’aleh VeYavo. However, if one forgot to include Ya’aleh VeYavo (at Maariv only) one does not repeat (see ShulchanAruch, Orach Chayyim 422:1, based on Berachos 30b, which explains that this is due to the fact that we do not sanctify the month at night). Following the Shemoneh Esreh, the Chazzan recites Kaddish Tiskabbel followed by Aleinu, and Mourner’s Kaddish.

In light of Midian’s centrality in the Ba’al Peor story and its aftermath in this week’s parsha, it pays to remember the unusual place this nation has in the formative experiences of the Jewish people. The odyssey begins a generation earlier with Moshe’s sojourn in Midian, when he is taken in by Yitro and offered the latter’s daughter in marriage. Marriage to a foreign noblewoman in a foreign land is not unique to Moshe; it parallels Yosef’s experience in Egypt. But neither is it common. In fact, given that the idea of keeping marriage “within the family” is stressed by both Avraham and Yitzchak, marriage with a foreigner is usually far from the ideal.

It is important to stress that Moshe’s marriage was not a generic one. The choice of a specifically Midianite bride should draw our attention even more once we see that God singles out this nation for Israelite enmity (Bemidbar 25:16–18). If Moshe marries into such a nation, it can hardly be accidental.

In trying to better understand Moshe’s connection with Midian, we will need to draw a wider circle and examine Midian’s alliance with the equally reprehensible Moav. It is really much more than an alliance that Midian and Moav share: just as a Midianite woman was the source of both blessing (Tzipporah) and curse (Cozbi) for the Jewish people, the story of Ruth would show the same to be true of Moav (whose women brought on the debacle with Ba’al Peor) as well. Such a link to the Jews is uncommon among most nations. Accordingly, the fact that it was specifically Midianite and Moabite women who were involved with Jewish men shows that an existential bond existed between these nations and Israel. There was an attraction which likely went beyond the physical. The Jews sensed the potential for greatness that both Midianite and Moabite women carried. And that potential was actualized in Tzipporah and Ruth.

We have discussed the positive side of Midian and Moav. But what about the bitter enmity they show the children of Israel? Understanding the former might actually give us insight into the latter. For one, the relationship of the Jewish nation to Midian and Moav shows that these two nations are capable of more greatness than other nations. Yitro and Tzipporah are not just gentiles, they are Midianite gentiles, and Ruth is specifically a Moabitess. The awareness of such potential could frighten and ultimately threaten these two nations. That Ruth can come from Moav, for example, means that – at least theoretically – others like her could come out of that nation as well. Once that is possible, then to fall short is a failure which Moav would prefer not to confront.

Instead of dealing with the potential, these nations may well have preferred to make it irrelevant. Given that the source of the discomfort is ultimately the Jews and what they represent, one way to eliminate that discomfort is to eliminate the Jews. Such has been echoed only too often by those who fault the Jewish nation for holding up mankind to an “unreasonable” standard.

Lest we think this is only a Midianite or a Moabite issue, we need to realize that we all feel threatened by our potential. It is daunting to know how much better we really can be. And who has more potential than the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov? Hence we must sure to accept our potential even if we are not always prepared to meet it. At the very least, let it serve us a positive reminder of who we actually are. For our potential is our self.

Tomorrow Sunday, the 18th of Tammuz, is the fast of Shiv’a Asar BeTammuz (nidche –delayed due to Shabbos). The fast commences in the morning at 4:33 a.m. N.Y.C. E.D.T., and concludes according to Rav Tukaccinsky no earlier than 8:53 p.m., N.Y.C. E.D.T., according to Rav M. Feinstein, if one has difficulty fasting they may eat at 8:57 p.m., N.Y.C. E.D.T., one who experiences no difficulty should wait until 9:06 p.m., N.Y.C. E.D.T.,

This fast marks the beginning of the mourning period for the destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem and our dispersion in the exile. There are numerous minhagim regarding this period of mourning that are found in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayyim 551 – Hilchos Tisha BeAv – see Ba’er Heitev ad loc. All these rules apply until the morning following TishaBeAv (the 10th of Av after Noon – Chatzos HaYom).

Shacharis: usual tefilla with the addition of the beracha of Anenu between the berachos of Go’el Yisrael and Rofeh Cholei Amo Yisrael in the Chazzan’s repetition. Following the repetition all say the Selichos and Avinu Malkenu as found in the Siddurim. We remove a Sefer Torah from the ark and call three Aliyos and read in Parashas Ki Tissa (Shemos 32:11-14, 34:1-10) from “Vaychal.” We then conclude Shacharis as usual.

Mincha: we begin with Ashrei, followed by half-Kaddish as usual; we then remove a Torah scroll and call three Aliyos and [again, as in the morning] read in Parashas Ki Tissa (Shemos 32:11-14, 34:1-10) from “Vaychal.” The last aliya serves as Maftir, and he reads from Yeshayahu (55:6-56:8), Dirshu Hashembe’himatz’o. Upon returning the Torah to the ark, the Chazzan says half-Kaddish – all say Anenu within the beracha of Shema Kolenu, as found in the Siddur. In the silent Shemoneh Esreh we also substitute Sim Shalom for Shalom Rav in the beracha of Shalom (according to Nusach Ashkenaz – whereas most of those who follow Nusach Sefarad always say Sim Shalom at Mincha.) In the Chazzan’s repetition(as during Shacharis), Anenu is a separate beracha between Go’el and Rofeh. Birkas Kohanim is recited as well, and the Chazzan concludes with Sim Shalom. Following the Shemoneh Esreh all say AvinuMalkenu – Tachanun, and then the Chazzan recites Kaddish Tiskabbel, followed by Aleinu and the Mourner’s Kaddish.

The following chapters of Tehillim are being recited by many congregations and Yeshivos for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael: Chapter 83, 130, 142. – Y.K.

Though a zealot who killed the immoral Zimri, unlike most zealots, Pinchas was completely in line with God’s will. The daughters of Zelaphchad, five righteous biblical women, were zealous for the land of Israel, and they were rewarded for it.

UPDATE: Police arrested 16 suspects for arson but then released them two hours later.

Arsonists caused heavy damage to the offices and rooms at the Church of Loaves Fishes at the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) early Thursday morning and left graffiti which, freely translated, read: “Cut off the false idols of the Galilee.”

The original verse appears in the second part of the “Aleinu” prayer, said three times day, in which it is written “You shall cut off their false gods.”

The church that was set on fire is where Christians believe Jesus performed the Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.

Hundreds of thousands of Christians visit the site every year, and the Tourism Ministry in recent years has promoted the development of Christian sites and churches, including places where missionaries are hard at work to convert Jews.

Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said that firefighters arrived at the church at 3:30 Thursdays morning and found the graffiti, which is firm ground for suspicions that arsonists set the blaze.

There always is the outside chance that the graffiti was several months old, that an electrical fire caused the blaze, that the Shin Bet was behind it to frame Jews, or perhaps the Christians themselves lit the match to spread an anti-Semitic blood libel.

It would be great to discover that one or all of the above are true, but until proven otherwise, Jews are assumed to be guilt, justly or not.

When you come to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, and you possess it and live therein, and you say, “I will set a king over myself, like all the nations around me,”

You shall set a king over you, one whom the Lord, your God, chooses; from among your brothers, you shall set a king over yourself; you shall not appoint a foreigner over yourself, one who is not your brother

In three weeks, Jews read the Torah portion of Pinchas, the priest who took a spear and killed a Jew and a non-Jewish woman form Midian for publicly joining idol worshipers.

God awarded him with the “covenant of peace” for his act, which stopped a plague that God brought on the people because of idol worship.

But Pinchas and only Pinchas could have done such an act and be rewarded. Anyone else would have been tarred and feathered.

The arsonists who torched the church this morning are not priests. They are not kings. They are not police. Their lunacy was an act of the low-life of low-lives.

They appointed themselves to carry out a commandment that is not necessarily directed at each and every Jew in Israel but at the entire people, who today have a country and a government.

It often does not function properly. It is not a religious government.

And there never will be religious government so long as some crazy people, possibly with a kippa on their heads, go around as if they are direct agents of God.

They even took a revered prayer and added the word “Galilee” on their authority.

And the truth is, they didn’t even cause much damage the church itself. They not only did not carry out a commandment, but they also violated several others, including the law of the Jewish country in which they have the privilege to live.

The midrash tells us that Pinchas, the title character of this parsha, and Eliyahu, the prophet of Kings, are one and the same. In this week’s parsha video, Rabbi Fohrman compares these two characters and asks, what does it mean to be zealous for God?